Opportunities to bake holy bread are available for the next several Sundays. Please sign up if you are able and willing.

Pray for Camp St. George Campers and Staff this Week-

This week, August 9-15, Camp St. George is in session. We are blessed to have an Orthodox Church Camp so close by. From our church this year, we have five campers and three staff members. Pray that this session would be enjoyable, safe and spiritually profitable for all involved.

Thank You-

Thank you to Irakliy Surguladze for doing some needed repair work on our front porch and in the vestry room.

Remaining Dormition Season Services-

Following, are the remaining services for this Dormition season:

August 10- Paraklesis, 7:00PM

August 12- Paraklesis, 7:00PM

August 14- Great Vespers for Dormition, 7:00PM

Fr. Ignatius Will Be at Camp August 9-15-

Fr. Ignatius will be on staff at Camp St. George from the evening of August 9 until the morning of August 15. All services during that time at St. Raphael will be done reader's style without a priest. Fr. Ignatius should be reachable on his cell phone during this time.

August Parish Council Meeting-

The Parish Council will meet for its monthly meeting on August 18, at 7:00PM.

Planned Parenthood National Day of Protest-

On Saturday August 22, people will be gathering nationwide outside of their local Planned Parenthood clinics to protest this organization which is the largest provider of abortions in America and which has been recently exposed to be participating in various unethical and possibly illegal behaviors including the selling of organs and other parts from these aborted babies. Locally, there will be a peaceful protest at 850 Orchard St., Iowa City, from 9:00AM-11:00AM. For more information, contact Sheryl at Johnson County Right to Life at (319) 855-8475 or director@jcrtl.org.

Prayers for the Start of the School Year, August 23-

Following liturgy on Sunday August 23, Fr. Ignatius will offer prayers and a blessing for all students (pre-K- post graduate) as they begin the school year. Please bring your students to liturgy that day!

Food for All-Kalona-

(1) Kalona Summer Lunch will end Wed., August 19. It has been a great summer with lots of participation and community building. Please be praying for wisdom and insight regarding future programs, particularly for Amy Spencer, the organizer.

(2) GOOD NEWS regarding Kalona Vespers: First, United Christian and Baptist Church, which hosts it, decided to let us use their beautiful sanctuary rent-free from June through August. Second, the pastor of Kalona Methodist, which provides an account and financial accountability for Food for All, encouraged us to tithe to Kalona Vespers off all dollars donated to that account. You bet we will!

Sunday School Start Date-

We will restart Sunday school classes on September 13. We look forward to another excellent year!

Looking for Book Donations-

Parishioners are asked to bring any unwanted books in used but good condition to church (they can be left on the table in the bookstore room). Iulian Vamanu will be organizing them and the parish council will consider how and when to host a book sale to benefit the church. Please direct any questions you have to Iulian.

Food for All-Kalona-

(1) Kalona Summer Lunch will end Wed., August 19. It has been a great summer with lots of participation and community building. Please be praying for wisdom and insight regarding future programs, particularly for Amy Spencer, the organizer.

(2) GOOD NEWS regarding Kalona Vespers: First, United Christian and Baptist Church, which hosts it, decided to let us use their beautiful sanctuary rent-free from June through August. Second, the pastor of Kalona Methodist, which provides an account and financial accountability for Food for All, encouraged us to tithe to Kalona Vespers off all dollars donated to that account. You bet we will!

Remember Your Departed Loved Ones With Flowers- Would you like to memorialize your departed loved ones with a bouquet of flowers to be placed in the church on the weekend of your choice? Look for the new Memorial sign-up sheet. Decide what weekend you would like your loved one(s) remembered, give $25 to the church, clearly marking it for "Memorial Flowers" and your loved one(s) will be mentioned during the Great Entrance prayers and in the weekly bulletin. If your departed loved ones are Orthodox, and you would like Trisagion Prayers for the Departed to be offered at the end of Liturgy, you can indicate that on the sign-up sheet as well.

Keep Praying for Kidnapped Orthodox Bishops in Syria- Since April 22, 2013, the Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Metropolitan Paul, and the Syriac Metropolitan of Aleppo, Youhanna, have been in captivity and have not heard from. Please pray for their well being and release and also pray for their captors as well.

Next Sunday's Gospel Reading- The Lord spoke this parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35)

Pray for our Catechumen- Please keep our catechumen Ilya Buchkin in your prayers as he prepares to be sacramentally joined to the Orthodox Church.

Choir Leadership-

Lori Branchwill lead the choir on the weekend of August 15-16.

Do You Have a Prayer Request? Please give it to Fr. Ignatius and he will distribute it by email to all those on the Prayer Chain. If you wish to join the Prayer Chain, please let Fr. Ignatius know.

Food for Thought-

"We must strengthen ourselves by truly realizing that the God of the Universe is the God who dwells within us. When we begin to enter into our interior universe, we will find how close we are to our healing. God has given us all things; we need only remove from our inner selves what is not of God."